Juzo looked deeply at Minato, who showed no sign of fear, increasing his worries.
"What's going on?"
A huge question mark popped up in Juzo's mind. He needed clarification about the source of Minato's confidence in making such bold moves.
Nevertheless, he didn't linger on this thought for long.
What he wanted now was to get Minato away from this area as quickly as possible, away from any potential support from Konoha. He didn't mean that Konoha's ninjas could rescue Minato—they were collaborating with Danzo, meaning the true fighting force of Konoha wouldn't be coming to Minato's aid.
His reason for moving the battlefield was not to ensure that Minato would be rescued but to avoid the involvement of other Konoha ninjas, which could cause damage.
Such damages were previously of no concern to them, but given the current diplomatic relations between their village and Konoha—especially since they had already started a major conflict with Kumogakure—making an enemy of Konoha would be disastrous for them. By now assisting Konoha, they could expect support from Konoha when dealing with Kumogakure, which was crucial.
That's why Juzo needed to get Minato to a safe distance before taking any action.
Thus, the group of nine slowly moved in a different direction, walking a great distance until they stopped in a deserted forest.
Juzo's gaze was focused on Minato, a cold smile curving his lips.
"We're here," he said slowly, hands positioned as if steering naturally. He looked confidently at Minato and Kushina, feeling assured of victory. After all, they were facing just two potential young talents while they were the notorious Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
"Oh?" Minato looked at the scene before him, understanding exactly what was happening. He had guessed it from the start but wanted to see what kind of tricks these Kiri ninjas would play, to see if it matched what he had anticipated.
Now, it seemed there was no difference...
These people had simply brought him here to start a fight. No real "employer" was involved, which disappointed him somewhat.
"Where's the employer?" Minato asked as if he hadn't noticed the setup, his face expressing confusion, perfectly capturing his role in this act.
Actually, they each had their own agendas.
Minato also didn't want the Konoha ninjas who had just been through war and were exhausted to join this battle. It would only lead to unnecessary sacrifices.
The situation was exactly as he had anticipated and hoped for; now, he could fight freely.
Of course.
He was already on the verge of exhaustion.
He couldn't enter into combat now, but he had great confidence in Kushina, especially since their sparring at Mount Myoboku had revealed her formidable strength.
"There's no such thing as a 'employer.'"
"This kid is so gullible."
"Is this really the future of Konoha?"
"Too naive, really!"
"He still doesn't understand what's happening?!"
"..."
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen wore smiles, seeing Minato as a fish that had taken the bait. They hadn't expected this mission to be accomplished so easily, each envisioning the rich reward.
They had been prepared for a difficult task, but as events unfolded, they found this to be much easier than any previous mission.
Faced with the mocking smiles of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Minato remained calm and collected, standing quietly and observing them.
Do you think you are the hunters?
Do you think I am the prey?
The real predator often appears as the prey!
You won't expect this!
With a smile, Minato looked at the overly confident Seven Ninja Swordsmen, shaking his head slightly before suddenly stepping back behind Kushina.
"Kushina, I'll leave this to you. No problem, right?" Minato's calm voice rang out, full of confidence in her. Though they faced the formidable Seven Ninja Swordsmen, he had sensed the terrifying power within Kushina after she had entered Sage Mode.
During their training, he had witnessed such scenes where Kushina seemed to suppress the beast within her, both consuming energy from each other. However, now, the feeling was entirely different.
Minato could easily tell that Kushina had now merged with the beast; their powers united, no longer draining each other, which was evident from her control over Sage Mode.
Now was her time to dazzle the world.
"No problem at all," Kushina responded, still in Sage Mode. Her robust chakra made her immensely powerful. Her slightly reddened frog-like eyes began to emit waves of terrifying energy.
"Huh?"
Juzo, seeing this scene, suddenly felt uneasy, not knowing what was wrong.
Do you really expect a girl like this to be so powerful?
He couldn't believe it.
"Minato, are you really going to hide behind a woman?" Juzo asked, partly trying to provoke Minato.
After being influenced by Aoba, he started thinking more strategically, although his plans weren't particularly clever.
"Hahahaha..."
As Juzo spoke, the other Seven Ninja Swordsmen burst into laughter, looking at Minato with disdain and mockery. They felt as if he was so scared that he had to hide behind his girlfriend, a clear sign of his crumbling spirit.
Faced with their laughter, Minato remained composed. He stood behind Kushina, his blue eyes scanning each before resting on their leader, Juzo.
"Have you ever considered?"
"Is there a possibility?"
"That I have already seen through your plans?"
"But I still deliberately came here with you?"
Minato spoke softly, not attacking yet, aiming to buy some time.
After all, there were seven of them, and they had a numerical advantage, an edge they couldn't overturn.
Minato was unaware of the agreement between the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and Aoba and didn't know how they planned to execute their mission. All he could be sure of was that their target was him, not the Konoha ninjas. However, he didn't know whether they would attack the Konoha ninjas in their madness.
So, Minato was waiting for the right moment.
"Oh?"
Juzo smirked slightly, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. His expression was filled with irony and mockery.
"Do you know that no matter what, you still have to follow us obediently!"
Juzo thought Minato might have guessed the setup. After all, his excuse for luring Minato wasn't perfect, but it was quite easy to see through.
But what if it was discovered?
Juzo was confident that he had given Minato two poison pills, and he had to choose one.
Either bring the Konoha ninjas and fight a deadly battle or sacrifice himself to ensure their survival.
This was his plan all along, believing that Minato, who carried the future of Konoha, would make a wise decision to sacrifice himself. Indeed, everything was proceeding exactly as he had envisioned, and now it was time to reap what he had sown.
"Have you ever thought..."
Minato spoke again, his lips curling into a meaningful smile. His seemingly calm demeanor unnerved those present.
"What if I brought Kushina here for a reason?"
"This..."
Juzo's eyes widened slightly, realizing this was a serious oversight. He hadn't considered this when planning; it was Minato's only condition for coming along.
"Do you want to die together?"
Juzo asked slowly, his voice deep and serious. He slowly realized a terrifying possibility, although he found it hard to believe.
"Hahahahahaha..."
Minato burst into laughter as if he had heard something incredibly funny, then shook his head.
"Would you bring your girlfriend to die with you if you knew it was a certain death?"
Minato posed the question, not expecting an answer but turning to look at Kushina, his eyes filled with clear love.
"Let me tell you the answer."
"Because..."
"She is my trump card!"